


A Trifling Matter

by Bofur1



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Creepy, Death Threats, Dubious Morality, Fear Play, Heartbreak, Laketown, Nervousness, Protective Siblings, Protectiveness, Ripping Books, Stalking, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 12:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1941180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's always been said that when a Dwarf is being housed and fed by strangers of a different race, it is best to be cautious but courteous to the keepers of the house. In the case of Ori, courtesy comes in full blast and caution flies out the window.</p><p>  <span class="small">Or the time Alfrid was being a creeper around Ori and Dori and Nori kicked his butt, because who doesn't love that?! XD<span class="small"></span></span></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Trifling Matter

Ori looked when he heard the nasally voice in front of him.

“What are you working on there?” the Man asked, gesturing to the book that sat on Ori’s lap.

Smiling politely, Ori held it out so he could see. “I’m recording our journey to Erabor as it’s happened so far. It’s nice to see you’re interested, Mister...?” He shook his head apologetically, having forgotten the servant’s name.

“Alfrid. I’m a scribe too,” Ori’s visitor announced smugly, radiating pride.

Ori’s smile grew wider. “That’s wonderful! What do you record?”

“Mostly whatever becomes my business,” Alfrid snickered, a dry sound that hurt Ori’s ears a little. He didn’t want to be rude though, so he laughed along.

“So you’re observant? I am too; I have to be so I can catch things!”

“Oh, yes,” Alfrid agreed with a sneer that revealed his shockingly brown teeth. “I watch everything, every _one_.”

That sounded somewhat...Ori didn’t know any word to describe it other than sinister. He shifted a little bit uneasily, but Alfrid just kept smiling so he managed one back.

“It’s an important job, making sure no one causes trouble, right?” Ori clarified.

Alfrid nodded. “The Master trusts me above anyone else.”

Ori heaved his shoulders in a sigh. “I wish I could say the same about Thorin, but...well, I’m one of the youngest—probably far younger than Bard the bargeman’s son in your reckoning.”

“Really.” Alfrid scrunched his unibrow in a strange expression that made Ori fidget again. “I saw some fine sketches in the corners of the pages,” he remarked deliberately.

Ori’s eyes lit up. “I’m an artist too! Well, apprentice artist...I’m not that good.” He opened his mouth to say more, but the dinner bell rang at that moment. Ori tilted his head, still finding it strange that the Master of Laketown rang a bell instead of simply calling. Tsking softly, disappointed that he couldn’t share some of his artwork, he closed his book and rose to his feet.

“I have to go,” the Dwarf murmured, but as he went to leave, the Man caught his arm.

“Oh? Well, before you go, give me your book of records.”

Ori stared at him in disbelief. “What? I...I don’t know what you’re trying to—” He couldn’t finish his sentence, as he was suddenly being propelled into the chair he’d just been sitting in. Yelping in pain as he toppled head over heels, Ori lost ahold of his book and sent it sliding across the floor.

As soon as he shook off his daze, Ori managed to get on his hands and knees, watching in horror as Alfrid picked up his journal.

“Everything the Master needs to know about you Dwarves is right here in my hands,” Alfrid spat, his grubby fingers flipping the pages. “Hm...quite a lot of _juicy_ things in here,” he remarked mockingly. “Most about these ‘Dori and Nori’ characters, if I’m reading right. I can never tell you pygmies apart, but these two seem important to you. Ooh, such a pretty sketch of them here!” Almost before he finished speaking, his index finger and thumb crept toward the spine of the book.

Ori knew exactly what he was going to do. “No!” he gasped, struggling to stand on his throbbing legs. “Please, no! Don’t tear it!”

Alfrid was crueler even than Ori expected. The agonizing tearing sound was echoed in his chest as his heart broke and followed the page’s path to the floor. With a sudden burst of strength, Ori lunged to his feet and dove for the book. He hit the ground hard as Alfrid dodged him, skidding painfully. He’d not even had time to recover from that before Alfrid was on top of him, twisting his arms behind his back. Ori struggled feebly, trying to cry out. It was hard with his face pressed into the floor.

“You’re right,” Alfrid hissed, his breath putrid as he leaned toward Ori’s ear. “You’re only a child to me. If you think you’re going to get this book back—unh!”

Ori felt the pressure release from his arms. Groaning in pain, he turned over and gasped when he saw Alfrid face down in the same position he’d been in with Dori on top of him.

“You dare!” Dori bellowed, straining Alfrid’s arms back in their sockets so there was audible cracking. “You dare touch him!”

Ori squealed in alarm, thrashing against arms that locked around his chest from behind, but Nori’s low voice calmed him immediately. “Easy, Ori, it’s me.”

Turning, Ori wrapped his arms around Nori’s waist and buried his face in his shirt. “I tried to fight him,” he moaned. “I tried, but—”

“Everythin’s gonna be alright,” Nori murmured, his voice bordering on badly hidden fury. “Dori and I will take care of everythin’, little brother, don’t you worry.”

Alfrid yelped as Dori hauled him to his feet and slammed him by his throat against the wall. “What were you doing?!” Dori shouted furiously, his face almost contorted beyond recognition in rage. “What were you doing to Ori?!”

Alfrid was unable to speak, so Ori answered for him. “He...he shoved me,” he answered in a small voice. “And tore a page from my journal.” Breaking away from Nori’s tight embrace, Ori scooped up the fallen sketch of his brothers and tucked it back where it belonged, holding his book close against his chest.

“What have you to say for yourself, worm?” Nori snarled at the Man, all restraint vanishing in an instant. A knife materialized in his hand, twirling between his fingers and flashing the light like a swinging lantern.

“I—I apologize,” Alfrid choked out. “I was trying to have a bit of fun with the boy, I meant no harm—”

“His name is Ori,” Dori hissed, squeezing Alfrid’s neck with enough force that Ori knew it was going to leave a good number of bruises. Rising to his toes, Dori was practically pressing his nose against Alfrid’s as he decreed thunderously, “It is in my nature to be kind, gentle and loving... _but know this_ : When it comes to matters of protecting my friends, my family and my heart, do _not_ trifle with me. For I'm the most powerful and relentless creature you will ever know.”

“As for me,” Nori snarled, a manic gleam burning clearly in the darkness of his eyes, “it is _not_ in my nature to be kind, gentle and loving. At all. You’d better just nod to my big brother or I will begin cutting off things you like.”

Alfrid nodded vigorously over and over, but he stopped, casting a wild-eyed gaze at the door where the Master of Laketown was looming.

“What is going on here?!” the giant Man demanded. “Dwarves, are you threatening my servant?!”

“Master!” Alfrid wailed. “I was only teasing the child, but these two others accosted me! Please, stop them! That one has a knife!”

A shrill whistling sound pierced the air as Nori spun the knife from his left hand into his right and drew a second to replace it. “I have two hands,” he said through clenched teeth.

“I—I believe this is just a misunderstanding,” the Master stammered.

Ori opened his mouth to speak, but Thorin appeared at that moment and spoke first. “Dori, Nori! Stand down!” the King commanded.

Never one to disobey an order from royalty, Dori reluctantly released Alfrid, pinning him with a sinisterly sadistic gaze instead.

As Thorin and the Master of Laketown each began trying to make excuses for their parties, Dori and Nori approached Ori.

“Are you hurt?” Dori asked worriedly, sounding like the brother Ori knew for the first time in many long minutes.

“Not badly,” Ori answered, allowing himself to be drawn against Dori’s chest. “Just a little bruised.”

“For every bruise he put on you, I ought to stick him one,” Nori muttered.

“Nori,” Dori rebuked without any ire. “This isn’t the time.”

Nori paused for a long moment before sheathing his knives. Another longer pause and then he moved in, wrapping his arms awkwardly around both his brothers.

If he felt up for it later, Ori decided, he’d have to try recreating this moment as a sketch.


End file.
